Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal ships

Sony today announced that Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal has shipped to retail outlets nationwide. The third installment of Insomniac Games' action series features the return of the two title characters in their ongoing battle against the robotic Dr. Nefarious and his plan to destroy all organic life in the galaxy. Captain Qwark returns to aid Ratchet and Clank through 29 locations across Planet Veldin. Gamers will be able to acquire 20 weapons with several levels of upgrades, including one gun that allows players to turn targets into sheep.

This latest edition of the series supports multiplayer action both on- and offline. Various game modes, including siege, capture the flag, and deathmatch, can be played by either four players offline (with the Sony multitap) or eight players online (with the Sony network adaptor). The online mode will support voice chat, friends lists, and stat-tracking.

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal is rated "T" for Teen and carries a $39.99 MSRP. Look for GameSpot's review of the title later this week.